Marvel: 2010-06-27 - Uncommon Sense
It is late Sunday afternoon, and Andrea has been sent word that Simone needs to see her. Currently the library is empty, (save for Simone) everyone else seems to be and about enjoying the summery weekend. Simone is sitting at a table, flipping through an art book as she waits. Andrea eventually bestirs herself from whichever book she has been studying, whichever assignment she has been working on, to notice the latest message on her school email account. She taps the screen of her smartphone and reads the brief message, then shrugs a bit as she climbs out of the chair in the dormitory room on the second floor of the west wing that she has claimed as her own, even though she does not - usually - spend the night on campus. A bookmark is placed in her text, and her notebook is closed as well. She makes a point of checking herself in the mirror, a frown coursing over her lips at the sight of the bandages still in place, before she then takes only her phone - set to vibrate - and locks the door, heading down towards the Library. The tall raven-haired student arrives dressed as sharply and crisply as ever. But to those who are observant, that seems only a mask settled uneasily over a troubled visage. Andrea does not smile, nor does she greet any of the other students in the halls. She has been rather withdrawn since the incident, and that remains true even when dealing with teachers. Though always respectful, she does not initiate conversation or question. The same is true even now, as she opens the door to the library almost silently, slips inside, and moves to simply take up a stance in front of the table where Simone is examining the art book, without saying a word. She's no ninja, but it's a lot quieter and more subtle than most of the students manage on a daily basis. Simone offers Andrea a smile. She doesn't appear upset or angry. "Hi Andrea." she greets. "Please have a seat. I'm sorry to pull you away from your studies but I wanted to ask you a few questions about what happened the other day in the city. I'd like to know the events that lead up to you and Alex driving up to see Kyle?" "Ma'am?" Andrea questions, a bit confused. Still, she pulls out a chair and takes a seat as requested, waiting to see if this will begin to make some sense. "You mean a few weeks ago, when Alex saved Mister Owens from the fire those terrorists set in his shop?" Confirming this, she purses her lips again in a frown. "There really isn't much to tell, Ms. Dawn. Alex wanted to go check out something and asked me to come along. I thought I would. He had stopped the car and asked me to stay with the car while he checked on something, when I realized he was walking towards a group with bats and such, and that a fire had been started in the store and Mister Owens was trapped inside. I got out of the car and approached the building, hoping to reach Alex before he went inside, so I could help him find Mister Owens in all that smoke and fire. But he was gone when I got there, and then they started beating me up. If that strange hairy man from the tavern brawl hadn't shown up, I think they'd have killed me." Simone nods as the girl explains. "Did you realize that Alex didn't have a license?" she hates even to ask, but this is part of her job so she's going to. She really doesn't think Andrea did anything all that wrong. Crap happens after all. And mutants it seem, appear to be trouble magnets, despite their best intentions. Andrea merely shakes her head. "No, Ma'am. I did not know that at the time. If I had known that, I would not have gone riding off of the property with him, I would have called for a teacher to stop him." Andrea tries very hard to be 'good' about such things. Simone nods. The artist isn't surprised by this. After Andrea's earlier protests about being 'trustworthy', Simone figured she had a good reason to go along with Alex. "I see. That would have been a good course of action. I'm very sorry Kurt and I weren't able to reach you two faster. We all got very lucky that fellow was there and willing to help. " she says. "Any way, we all get caught up in things from time to time. We all just want to make sure something like this doesn't ever happen again. " Andrea sighs softly and shrugs her shoulders. "I guess we shouldn't go out in public anymore, then. Every time we do, something like this happens." And Andrea seems to be rather tired of that fact, and not in a good way. Not in a 'standing up for yourself' way. More in a 'resignation' way. Simone shakes her head. "I don't want to say don't go out, no." she says. "But perhaps it'd be best to ask one of us staffers to come along? Or perhaps stick to Salem? This area seems to be much less prone to problems." she says. "You all shouldn't have to hide within these walls. A bit more caution might be boring, but untill you all are better prepared to protect yourselves we might have to play it on the safe side." Andrea merely shakes her head. "I don't really have that option. Either I go into hiding, or I'll be going out all of the time to places a lot further away than merely Salem." After all, as such a public figure, Andrea travels the country if not the world, and does so frequently. And she moved out here to be close to New York City; it'd be pointless to be living this close, and never visit there except in the company of people she cannot afford - for their sake, not her own - to let be seen with her. "I don't know about the others. But I can't 'protect myself'. That's why I pay for professional bodyguards and security." Simone arches her brow. "You may not feel capable of it right now, but you can't always wait for your prince charming to save you Andrea, or hope your bodyguards are near by. There's no reason you can't learn how to do so. " she says perhaps too bluntly. "As for not going out, that is ultimately your choice. I would hate to see you cloister yourself up here or in some hotel, only coming out to work. That's no fun way to live. I simply meant that when you are hanging out with your school friends, that you stick to Salem. When you are traveling for work with your bodyguards, do you still have so many problems?' Andrea merely shakes her head in response. "I can't fight or defend myself, Ms. Dawn." The other woman may believe otherwise. She is entitled to her beliefs. But apparently those beliefs stop at the edge of Andrea's personal reality. "I do not usually have much trouble when I go out for work. But I would not say I have no trouble." After all, she has still gone out on her own and ended up dealing with godlings, HYDRA assaults, terrorists, and jewel thieves with souped up robo-tank cars. "It's just not often trouble /aimed/ at me." Which has previously enabled the teenager to lend a hand without having to fight, which she clearly does not feel capable of doing. It should be noted that despite much encouragement, she has not signed up for any of the self-defense courses being offered, including boxing, fencing, or martial arts. Simone does her best to not frown. She's grown up on the streets, where if you don't learn to fight you end up in a very poor way. "May I ask why you feel that you are incapable of learning to do so? Are you a pacifist? " perhaps if she understands why she can at least accept the girl's plea. Andrea looks down at the table, not really sure why she's being questioned about this. Still, she is an obedient girl, and has been asked a question. So she tries her best to formulate a response. "I can't hurt someone else, never intentionally. Not ever." The rest of the thought goes unspoken, and there is no telepath here to hear it echo through Andrea's mind, but it is the deeper truth behind her very true words: << I could never stop if I began. >> Simone is no telepath, but there is something about the girl's words that make Simone feel she needs to not question further. However she isn't the type to just let it go unanswered. "I understand that many people would rather be harmed themselves than hurt another. That is your right to choose. Our choices all have consequences.. not only for ourselves but for those who are around us. If you feel that you must personally not strike another, even in defense of yourself or another no matter the cost.. I highly recommend you keep your body guards around with you at all times when you go out... at least until your friends are capable of adequately protecting you should something..unfortunate occur again." She stands up and closes her book. "Thank you for meeting with me Andrea, you may go." Subdued and quiet, Andrea merely nods. "Yes, Ma'am." No questioning. No complaint. No protest against the advice or how it might curtail her life and happiness. Instead, the girl merely stands from her seat and pushes the chair in, then turns and departs just as quietly.